Slovakia welcomes second evacuation flight from Afghanistan despite opposition

The Slovak government evacuated 28 people with direct links to the country despite warnings from the Chairman of the National Council and leader of the second-largest governing party, Boris Kollár, insisting his party would not allow for more Afghans to arrive in Slovakia.

The country already sent its first flight to Afghanistan on 19 August, when it evacuated 16 Slovaks and 10 local Afghan staff.

Shortly after the arrival of the first evacuation plane, Kollár said his party would veto every attempt of coalition partners to increase the number of “10 agreed Afghans” who had arrived in the country.

According to him, Afghans “cannot be integrated and therefore it is necessary to help save them in their natural environment, within a civilisational circle of their religion, which are the surrounding states.” Kollár also referred to Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz, who strongly refused to accept more Afghans.

NGOs subsequently blamed the government for the low number of refugees in Afghanistan, as only five days after the first evacuation flight, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď awarded 33 members and employees of the Armed Forces and three civilians a military medal for humanitarian aid, while operations in Afghanistan were still ongoing.

Within the course of two weeks, up to 250 people – including relatives of Slovak citizens of Afghan origin and people working in various institutions that cooperate with the country – turned to Slovak NGOs and the ministry of foreign affairs, requesting help leaving Afghanistan for Slovakia.

On Friday, Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok announced that a group of 20 Afghans to whom Slovak diplomacy had secured a place on a Norwegian evacuation plane, had not been able to pass a controlled position through the Taliban. However, Slovakia sent another special flight to the region on Monday. The government office has confirmed that it is returning from Afghanistan with 28 evacuees, the vast majority of whom are women and children. Students are also in the group.

Prime Minister Eduard Heger thanked the US for the “enormous help” in taking part in the operation. At the same time, Heger confirmed he is not afraid of clashes in the coalition on the matter.